Seven Years
by LovelyInspiration
Summary: "It's just not the same without them. I know it happened seven years ago, but a day hasn't passed when I didn't miss them." /and/ "Go, Leo. Bring back our family." ("Back from the Future" AU)


**Greetings, all! I bring you another one-shot, and it is an AU from the Season One episode "Back from the Future." I think that that brief description alone might've given some of you a clue as to what this is about. However, for the sake of storytelling, I won't say anymore about it - the plot, that is. I do also want to mention that the characters are slightly OOC, because that tends to happen in AUs. In case any of you dislike any OOC-ness at all, I just wanted to put that out there. Overall, though, they pretty much act like you'd expect them to.**

 **This one-shot is dedicated to two awesome people and fellow writers: PurpleNicole531 and Asori. PurpleNicole531 gave me my first review _ever,_ and she's supported me ever since. So, if you're reading this, PurpleNicole531, thanks for being so kind and wonderful! Asori is another super sweet person whose fanfiction journey is ending soon. I've really enjoyed reading her work and interacting with her over the past year and a half. Asori, you will be missed! Fun Fact: _Spiked Out_ by Asori and _The Evil Within_ by PurpleNicole531 were the first two stories I ever read on fanfiction. I say that because I read them back-to-back, so both stories were pretty much read at the same time. If you haven't read those or their other amazing stories yet, I highly recommend them.**

 **Okay, now on with the story. I hope you enjoy!**

 **I do not own Lab Rats.**

* * *

" _Hey, Leo, check this out!"_

Leo looked to his right, and the third chair of the table was suddenly occupied by Adam. The older (although now technically younger) boy stuck a straw in his glass of ice water and blew, creating bubbles in the drink. Leo smiled while playfully shaking his head. Childish stunts like that no longer entertained him, but it was amusing to see his immature older brother doing such a thing.

" _Sorry that took so long, guys."_ Leo glanced up to see Bree suddenly approach the table. _"The line for the woman's bathroom was really long. On the plus side, it had scented soap that smelled like lavender! I never knew washing your hands could be so enjoyable."_

" _Aha! I think I got it!"_ Leo's head swung to the fourth chair of the table. Chase was suddenly sitting there, scribbling a math equation on a paper napkin. He looked over at Leo with excitement on his face. Leo grinned along with his youngest older brother, because it was nice to see Chase's face again. _"It took me three days, but I finally solved this really difficult equation that Mr. Davenport gave me!"_

"…and so, when I walked into the dorm, my clothes were all over the floor! Angie was there tearing apart my closet because she just _swore_ that I borrowed her sweater and didn't return it. Obviously, I hadn't, but she wouldn't listen when I told her that. Then, low and behold, she found her sweater in _her_ dresser! After that, she had the nerve to- Leo? Leo, are you even listening to me?" When she got no response, Janelle followed the gaze of her boyfriend. Her eyes fell on any empty chair at their table, and she scrunched her eyebrows.

Janelle waved her hand in front of Leo's line of vision, and it passed right through Chase's neck. Leo's eyes widened, and he jerked back with a start. The vision of his brother disappeared, and Leo looked across the table at his girlfriend. "J-Janelle?"

"Leo, you totally spaced out. Is everything alright?"

"Uh… I don't… I mean, I-I…"

Janelle frowned. "You were seeing them again, weren't you?"

Leo sighed, dropping his head into his hands. "I guess so. I think I heard them, too…" Janelle's frown deepened, but she couldn't find anything to say. Leo dragged his hands across his face before looking back up. He met the worried eyes of his girlfriend, and he gave her a sad, broken smile. "You know, today makes seven years."

"Has it really been that long?" she asked, sympathy lacing her voice. Leo nodded. "Wow, time went by so fast…"

"Not for me, Janelle. I've had to wake up every day for the past seven years and remember that they're gone. I had to drudge through the rest of high school without them by my side. I've had to watch Big D _fall apart_ because he misses them so badly. Time has been anything but fast for me."

"I didn't realize it still hurt you that deeply. I'm really sorry, Leo."

"It's not your fault, Janelle. I just… It's just not the same without them. I know it happened seven years ago, but a day hasn't passed when I didn't miss them."

Janelle nodded solemnly, her thick curls bouncing slightly with the motion. The couple descended into a moment of silence. She looked down at her hands resting perfectly on her lap. Janelle began to twiddle her thumbs, searching desperately for something to say.

She had never been all that close to Adam, Bree, and Chase. They had only been going to Mission Creek High for a few months. Therefore, she didn't feel that same loving connection to them that Leo did. Janelle hadn't so far lost anyone close to her. Her grandfather passed several years ago, but she was too young to remember him. She didn't fully understand the feeling of grief that Leo was experiencing. She always tried to be empathetic, though. It wasn't like the feeling of sorrow was _completely_ lost on her.

"Well, Leo, this was part of the reason I wanted you to come to U.C. Berkeley with me. I was hoping it would've helped you to stay busy and not fixate on, you know… the car crash."

Leo chuckled mournfully under his breath. " _The car crash_ "… After everything his siblings went through to save the planet, they were known to have died in a bad car accident. How… how… how… _disrespectful._ Adam, Bree, and Chase were heroes, but their bionic secret condemned them to be known as nothing more than three teenagers who suffered premature and unfortunate deaths – and in a car crash, of all things. It was so common. Not that it being "common" made it any less tragic, but Leo didn't think it was right that his extraordinary siblings supposedly suffered from a rather ordinary accident.

Of course, Davenport thought it was a good cover for the very same reason – it was common; believable; unassuming, in a way. And that's how he wanted people to view their family – common, believable, unassuming.

"I would've liked that, too, Janelle, but we've been over this. Big D was – and still is – way too distraught for me to leave him. He needed me for support – physical, mental, and emotional."

"What about your mom?"

"She could only do so much. He needed us _both,_ and we needed him, too."

Janelle smiled, although her eyes still held a twinge of disappointment. "You're a good guy, Leo."

"I try," he shrugged. "But, you know, Janelle, you always could've stayed in Mission Creek. I mean, there were closer colleges."

"Yeah, but you know U.C. Berkeley had always been my goal. Besides, we don't all have billionaire step-dads that can just hand us jobs when we graduate high school."

"Okay, okay – I know what you're thinking: nepotism. And you're right. It's not like I was unqualified, though. Technology is kind of my calling. Besides, he needed to find _some_ way to keep me at home."

Janelle rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say. Anyway, since we _don't_ go to college together and Junior year has been really busy for me, do you think we could put the negative stuff aside right now and just focus on each other?"

Leo nodded. "Sure, Janelle. Sorry I was ignoring you."

"It's fine; I understand. So, where was I…? Oh, yea! And so Angie says to me…"

Leo rested his cheek against his fist and his elbow against the table. With a sigh, he prepared for a long, dramatic story that he better not dare to interrupt.

* * *

The lock clicked, and Leo pushed open the door to his house. It had stopped being a home seven years ago. The living room was cold and desolate when he entered, but that had nothing to do with the fact that it was empty. It was because the warmth and joy that normally filled this room had died with his siblings. The remaining Davenports typically spent time in separate parts of the house, leaving the common areas to grow dusty and dreary. Leo lost the hope that this mansion would return to its former glory – just like he'd lost the hope of having a complete family again.

After looking over the room for a brief second, Leo decided to head down to the lab. His step-dad was most likely there, working tirelessly on the time machine. He refused to give up on building it, because giving up on that time machine would mean giving up on Adam, Bree, and Chase – which Big D would never do. Throughout these bleak years, Leo came to see a side of his step-dad that he'd never seen before. The tech mogul displayed an incredible amount of determination and zeal.

Leo wished he had willpower like that of Donald. He missed his siblings a great deal, but after seven years, he just wanted to keep going with life. Of course, he'd always love and miss them, but life certainly wouldn't stop or slow down because he was upset about something. He had to keep moving forward, especially since he knew that was what his siblings would've wanted.

Donald, on the other hand, refused to accept the past. Even after seven years, he couldn't fathom a reality without his kids. Sure, he was grateful to still have Leo, but it just wasn't them same. _The_ _world_ just wasn't the same. So many disasters had occurred over the years because Adam, Bree, and Chase weren't there to prevent them. Donald was a proud man, and he refused to accept defeat or sit around like a kicked puppy. He wouldn't accept the loss of his kids, and he was trying to do everything possible to fix things.

Leo had always been amazed by the things his step-dad invented, and that moved him to have confidence in Donald. However, a _time machine_ was way out there. A small part of him felt that Big D might've finally snapped. His behavior, especially lately, was a bit… crazed. Leo wanted to have faith – he really did. However, a time machine was where he drew the line. It was impossible that his step-dad could actually create one. Right…?

With a sigh, Leo stepped through the opening elevator doors and pressed the down button. The lift began its decent seconds later. He rested against the far wall and glanced around. Big D had really fallen behind on the maintenance of the elevator. The metal had lost its sleek shine and was rusty in some places; the lights of the buttons were dimmed, almost nonexistent; the lift made a squeaking noise when it moved, most likely because of the old suspension cables. Leo had inspected the cables himself not too long ago, and they didn't appear to be so old that the elevator posed any danger. All the same, it was still run-down – and a bit depressing.

Leo felt the clank of the elevator as it hit the lab floor, and right before the doors opened, he saw a bright flash of light through the crack. His eyebrows creased as the doors slid open to reveal what was left of the lab. He stepped out cautiously, his head darting from side to side. Glancing straight ahead, he saw the three empty glass tubes across the room. His chest tightened a little. Big D didn't have the strength to get rid of Adam, Bree, and Chase's capsules. For the first week after the mission, Donald just sat inside them and cried. Leo didn't judge him, though. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't done it once or twice…

"Yes!"

Leo's head snapped to the left, and his eyes fell on his step-dad near the back corner of the lab. In front of the inventor was the time machine he'd been working on, only now the bulbs were all lit up.

"Big D?" Leo approached, admittedly a little wary.

Donald looked over at his step-son, and a huge grin spread across his face. Leo stopped in his tracks. Big D _never_ smiled anymore. What was going on? "Leo, I did it! I did it; I did it; I did it!"

"What did you do?"

"I finished the time machine!" he exclaimed.

Leo looked down at the odd contraption. " _What?_ Big D… you, you can't be serious."

"I'm serious as a heart attack, Leo," Donald replied, walking over to the cyber desk. He began frantically searching through all his junk. "I finished building it while you were in Berkeley, and then I tested it on that dummy just a second ago. I set the time machine for one minute in the future, and it disappeared. Then, guess what happened? It reappeared exactly one minute later – which was the future!"

Leo stood frozen to the ground with an unreadable expression on his face. "But, Big D, that… that's impossible."

"I thought so, too, Leo! I mean, I know I've been really determined to build this thing, but there were times when even _I_ doubted. I've made history today! How much more awesome can I get?"

Despite himself, Leo wanted to laugh. He hadn't heard Big D make a cocky remake in a long time. That, in and of itself, proved how confident he was with this invention. Leo knew better, though. It wasn't that he didn't trust his step-dad; it was just that Donald hadn't been very reliable – mentally speaking – lately. Leo's smile faltered. "Well, that's great, Big D, but… it sounds a bit far-fetched. Are you sure you weren't… imagining this?"

"You're one to talk about imagining things, Leo."

 _Ouch_. Leo frowned. "Okay, that's fair. But still, I just think that-"

"Fine – if you don't believe me, come see the security footage."

The 21-year-old hesitated, but he ultimately decided to go over. Donald grabbed his HoloPad and pulled up the security footage from just a couple minutes ago. Leo peaked over his shoulder and prepared to be proven right. However, to his surprise, the events described by his step-dad played out before his very eyes. Leo's heart filled with so many emotions, the chief of them being shock, perplexity, curiosity, and a twinge of hope that was drowned out by the first three.

After turning off the video, Donald put the tablet away and gave Leo a look. "Believe me now?"

Leo was still knee-deep in a stupor, so he only nodded.

"Good. Now that that's settled, take this." The billionaire shoved a pair of goggles against his step-son's chest and made his way back to the machine.

Leo glanced down at the item curled in his hands. "What is this for?"

"For you. They're my black-out goggles. I don't want your eyes getting damaged during the trip," he replied while distractedly configuring the invention.

"Wait, what? What trip?"

Donald sighed with exasperation. "Your time-travel trip, of course. I can't explain everything to you, Leo. These things should be self-evident."

"I'm sorry; _time travel_ trip?" Leo hurried over to his step-dad. "What are you talking about, Big D?"

"I'm talking about the plan we made several years ago. We agreed that when I finished the time machine, you would go back and keep Adam, Bree, and Chase from going on the particle collider mission."

Leo's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "What?! B-but… We- You just- What about- I can't go back in time!"

"Leo, I don't know why you're freaking out. This has always been the plan."

"Well, yeah, but… I didn't fully believe that a time machine could, you know, become a reality! Besides, we had _just_ lost them at the time, and all I had wanted was to have them back."

Donald stopped his work and looked up at Leo. He stood slowly, keeping his gaze locked on his step-son. He spoke in a soft tone to match the fragile expression in his eyes. "Don't you still want them back?"

Leo gulped, feeling his throat tighten as a lump grew inside. He bowed his head, almost shamefully. "Of course I do. I just… I've grown accustomed to our life now. I gave up on ever getting them back. What if things turn out worse? What if something goes wrong? What if the past just can't be changed? …What about Janelle?"

"Honestly, Leo, I don't know." Donald immediately grabbed at his chest, pain crossing his face. "Wow, that felt horrible. Never thought I'd say that."

Leo chuckled a little.

Donald cracked a small smile, seeing that his joke got the desired effect. "But, seriously… I don't know what could happen. I don't completely know if the past can be changed. There are a couple things I _do_ know, though. I know that there's no way things could get any worse – especially by having our family back. And I know that you and Janelle will be fine. Time can't change the fact that you're perfect for each other."

"I appreciate you saying that Big D, but… aren't you at all worried about the possibility of something going wrong?"

He nodded. "I am. And as a scientist, I am loathed to change the past. However, I must make an exception in this case. Adam, Bree, and Chase are worth the risk."

After a long, contemplative silence, Leo finally sighed. "It won't hurt, will it?"

Donald's heart warmed. He shook his head. "It shouldn't. I've tested the machine and run through all the possible scenarios. Unlike my other inventions, I made sure this one was safe. I wouldn't want to lose you, too."

"Well, what would I even do or say once I got, uh, into the past?"

"I've got that covered." Donald pulled his Holophone out of his pocket and gave it to Leo. "There's a video on there that I recorded. It explains everything that happened and what my past self needs to do. Just give it to him – er, _me_ – and I'll take care of the rest."

Leo nodded. "O-okay. I guess that's simple enough."

"Great. Well then, hop in." He gestured to the time machine.

The younger man's eyebrows rose. "I'm going _right now_?"

"Yep. There's no better time than the present to go to the past," Donald remarked, guiding his step-son down into the chair.

"What about mom? Shouldn't I at least say goodbye? And how will I get home? What if this thing doesn't work with a real person or-"

"Leo." The billionaire clapped a hand on Leo's shoulder, looking him straight in the eyes. "You'll be fine. The time machine has just enough Zanol fuel for you to go to the past and come back to the future. Me and your mom will still be here when you get back. We've talked about this so many times, Leo. You're prepared."

Leo took a deep, calming breath. "Alright." He slowly reached back to put on the safety belt. Once it was locked in, he placed the goggles over his eyes.

The inventor stepped back, but he kept his eyes on his step-son- no, his _son_. "Go, Leo. Bring back our family."

The reality of the situation hit Leo like a powerful ocean wave, and his earlier emotions swept over him with a new fervor. He felt scared, anxious, puzzled, and more hopeful than he had ever been these past seven years. Would this be the moment he saw his siblings faces again – as more than a mirage? Could he truly fix the past? Would his family be whole again? Could his future be happy? Would this time machine even work? There was only one way to find out.

Leo gave Donald one last nod before bringing his shaky hand up to the control panel. In a sudden surge of courage and anticipation, he slammed his finger down on the large black button. The shabby remains of the lab were the last thing he saw before a huge flash and a burst of wind.


End file.
